September 23, 2009

Zelaya sleeps safely while his followers rob and vandalize Tegucigalpa

After several weeks of relative peace and calm in Honduras − and no curfews, despite what the international media consistently misreports − former president Mel Zelaya returned to Honduras Monday and instigated violence again.

Virtually every private car in the area of the Brazilian Embassy where Zelaya is hiding was damaged by breaking out some or all of the windows and ruining the tires. Ironically, Mel Zelaya's own mother's car was parked on the street and was likewise vandalized.

Private homes in the area were broken into and robbed. Citizens were assaulted. Death threats were sprayed unto neighbors' walls. Mountains of trash were strewn in the streets.

At least one woman's house was completely ransacked, robbed, and her two employees were terrorized. The Zelayistas smoked marijuana as they destroyed and smashed everything in her house up to and including the ceilings, doors, and windows − the video of her home shown on the news was horrifying. Other neighbors were terrorized, assaulted, threatened with rape, and forced to prepare food by the rioters while they were being robbed. Numerous citizens called the police about home invasions.

This video shows the above mentioned woman's angry reaction to the violation. She holds Mel Zelaya, the Brazilian Embassy, and Brazilian President Lula directly responsible. She also demands that Human Rights organizations and Washington answer whether she has any human rights. The woman happens to be a journalist for Maya TV.

Damage was not limited to that area. Roads were blocked. Tires were burned.

The security doors for Dispensa Familiar were torn down and the store was sacked of everything from groceries to televisions. Anything that wasn't stolen was destroyed. This photo shows just one example of the result of Zelaya's 'peaceful' demonstrations.

The vandalism was pre-meditated. The rioters somehow bring huge loads of rocks with them. Mainstream media calls them 'stones', but in some cases they used concrete street pavers, which are about 6x6x3 inches (15x15x8 cm.). Many of the rioters were carrying long bats. Two police officers were injured. In one area protesters were shooting guns.

Media Coverage

Did you read or see any of this in your favorite media? Or were you told only about "military oppression" and repressive curfews?Reuters and many other international media sources are here in Tegucigalpa, but only give a passing mention, if at all, to the reality of what the protesters have done.

I did see some evidence of excessive force by a very few police officers on the news, and yes, I watch all of the stations, including the pro-Zelaya stations. But I saw 100 times more evidence of violence on the part of the Zelayistas.

I also saw that those arrested were taken to the stadium − a very good move on the part of the security forces, in my opinion. Everyone is out in the open, the media are apparently there (since it was on the news), and there can be no credible charges of secret beatings, torture, or clandestine prison camps. Curfew violators were held for six hours and then released to satisfy the human rights organizations.

World demands

The OAS and several other governments immediately issued statements demanding the guarantee of protection of Mel Zelaya and the Brazilian Embassy on Monday. How could Honduras possibly guarantee their safety when the area is surrounded by (they say) 3,000 angry protesters, many of them armed?

So the government called a curfew and the police and military tried to remove the protesters from the area. When the protesters became violent, destructive, attacked the police, and refused to leave the area, the police used tear gas and water cannons. What else could they do? There were some injuries, including police injured by rocks, but no deaths or thousands of injuries, despite what Zelaya falsely reported to his followers.

Then what happened? The OAS's human rights organization (IACHR) issues this statement, demanding that the "de facto government .... respect public demonstrations and the right to freedom of expression".

Public demonstrations have been allowed and have been occurring these past months as long as they do not infringe on the rights of innocent citizens, and often even when they do. But allowing criminals to destroy, rob, assault other citizens, and vandalize private property is not a human right in any country, is it?

The decent, law-abiding people of Honduras are sick and tired of having their rights abused by protesters, their property damaged or destroyed, and their means of making a living destroyed by those who apparently have an unending income from some unknown source.

Zelaya's plans

This chaos is exactly what Mel Zelaya wanted. It seems clear that he is willing to sacrifice the lives of his followers to get want he wants − while he takes a nap in the Brazilian Embassy.

The point of all this? To show the world a distorted view of oppression that doesn't exist. He has been quite successful, especially with the help of Chávez's Telesur and CNN (Español) TV coverage. Honduras cannot live under anarchy to appease a small minority lead by few professional protesters and agitators who do not and never had the interests of their people in mind.

Six months ago, many of these same "leaders" were protesting against Mel Zelaya, now they are protesting against Roberto Micheletti, and no doubt a year from now, they will be protesting against the next government, no matter who that might be. This is what they do. It is what they have always done, it is how they make their living, and very rarely does anything constructive for the people they represent ever occur though those same leaders seem to grow richer and richer.

What does Zelaya hope to accomplish? So far, he has been very successful in making the world's leaders believe that he is the only savior for Honduras, that his restoration to office is more important than any other laws or the future of the country. It appears that he hopes to show that Honduras is ungovernable (he has actually used those words several times) and that the world must intervene by whatever means to reappoint him to power. He continually asks for sanctions which will harm the people of Honduras.

What Mel actually accomplished was to show the world that the right decision was made on June 28 in removing him from the country. He is a destructive force, intent on dividing the population and ruling the country by mob force. Powered by the clout of the UN, OAS, US, and EU, the interference of socialist organizations from North and South America and Europe, and funded by Chávez and/or narco money, how can he lose? The world is a very slow learner when it comes to discovering the dangers of the real Mel Zelaya of which the Honduran government was well aware on June 28.

The real Mel Zelaya

Zelaya speaks to reporters of peace and dialogue, the blood of Christ, the sacrifices he is willing to make, including his life, he says. What he says to his followers is an entirely different thing and it is virtually never reported by any mainstream media.

Monday he had the crowd, which initially was peaceful, whipped into a frenzy while he screamed "Out with all the dictators! Out! Out! Restitution or death!" In the past, he has made declarations saying that they (the golpistas − coupsters) don't deserve to live, that they should be put in jail for the rest of their lives, that the people have a right to disobey laws of "the usurpers", and many other statements designed to incite violence and anarchy.

Before you judge Honduras on how they handled the situation on June 28, please ask yourself if these are the people that you would like to be in charge in your own country?

"Peaceful" protester covers his face and carries a pitchfork.

Even kids get involved because, well, it's fun.

Note the look of glee.

The population of Honduras is over 7.5 million. This is not a civil war. This is anarchy by a few thousand violent criminals being emboldened by the words of the former president, Hugo Chávez and his lackey sympathizers, the US, the OAS, the Europen Union, and the UN. That is a pretty formidable crowd for this little and very poor country to stand up to, but they have stood firm and consistent for almost three months precisely because they are standing up for the freedom and democracy of their country.

If you wouldn't want this to happen in your country, please help Honduras by contacting your government representatives and asking them not to interfere in Honduras. If you have contacted them before, please do it again. Honduras desperately needs your help to prevent international intervention.

Welcome to my Blogicito — spanglish for 'little blog'. I am a US expatriate who has been living here in La Ceiba, Honduras, with my Catracho husband since 2001 and blogging about Honduras and my expatriate life since 2006.

The Blogicito includes a wide variety of topics from everyday life to cultural differences to Honduran politics and corruption. One way to find what you are looking for is to browse the 'Topics' list or the monthly lists of articles under 'La Gringa's archives' below. Looking for something more specific? Use the search box at the upper left (for complete articles) or the Google blog search below (for a list of summaries — usually more manageable).